A good subtitle for this article might be "Practice What
You Preach!" There is no doubt that God can and does heal people
today. But the false doctrines of the Word-Faith Movement about "declaring"
healing, "name-it-and-claim-it", etc. have been proven to be lies by the
very people who sell this deceit. If you don't know about where these
famous "faith healers" go when they need healing, you may be surprised.
Why couldn't they heal themselves when they purported to be able to heal
others by virtue of their superior faith?

The following examples are listed alphabetically.
We will keep adding as self-proclaimed "healers" keep getting sick and/or
dying.

Do the math. Be a Berean. Learn to discern!

A.A. ALLEN

An acknowledged divine healer and exorcist died from
alcohol abuse.

At the entrance to Miracle Valley (A.A.Allen's 1,280
acre community) was a huge sign that made it plain just what was going
on in that neck of the desert. In red and gold, it proclaimed: A.A.ALLEN
REVIVALS, INC., MIRACLE VALLEY, ARIZONA. The Blind to See. The Deaf to
Hear. The Lame To Walk. SIGNS. GIFTS. WONDERS. (James Randi, The Faith
Healers, 1989, p.83-85)

Interestingly enough, A. A. Allen claimed thousands
upon thousands of healings, and himself died of sclerosis of the liver
in 1967 (actually 1970), having secretly been involved with alcohol
for many years while supposedly being able to heal everybody else. (John
McArthur, Does God Still Heal, Grace Community Church in Panorama City,
California, transcribed from the tape, GC 90-60, titled "Charismatic Chaos"
Part 9)

John McArthur later acknowledged the error in the above
quote that A.A. Allen actually died in 1970. Here is an e-mail I
received to clarify A.A. Allen's death certificate:

I need to bring to your attention that A.A. Allen did
not pass away in 1967. Rather, he passed away on Thursday, June 11, 1970.
I realize that John MacArthur indicates that Allen passed away in 1967,
but they've acknowledged that error. On A.A. Allen's death certificate,
it says he died of "cardiac arrest", not sclerosis of the liver
caused by alcoholism. (Rev. David Vivas, Tue, 9 Jan 2001 07:18:33 +0800)

Though Allen's death certificate indicated he died of
"cardiac arrest" there were numerous reports in 1970 that he died of complications
due to liver disease.

There is another one who succumbed to ailments and
that is a man by the name of William Branham, and if you study anything
about the healing movement you are going to come across the name of William
Branham. He would be the father of the post World War II healing revival.
He was a man reputed to have been instrumental in some of the most spectacular
healings that the Pentecostalshave ever seen. He died, however, in 1965 at age
56, after suffering for six days from injuries received in an automobile
accident. His theology was unbiblical and heretical, and of course
when applied to himself his theology of healing had no effect whatsoever,
though his followers right to the end, were confident God was going to
raise him up. And even after he died they believed that God would raise
him from the dead. (John McArthur, Does God Still Heal, Grace Community
Church in Panorama City, California, transcribed from the tape, GC 90-60,
titled "Charismatic Chaos" Part 9)

CHARLES CAPPS

Word of Faith teacher, teaches power of our words to create
reality - his wife got cancer and was medically treated.

I don't deny the existence of disease. I deny the right
of that disease to exist in this body, because I'm the Body of Christ."
(Capps, The Tongue, pg. 43)

I guess Chuck's wife must have not spoken the right magic
words to keep the cancer from her body.

JACK COE

An acknowledged divine healer died from polio.

(Coe) warned followers "that the day would come when
those who consulted physicians would have to take the mark of the beast."
Coe
(subsequently) became critically ill with bulbar polio ... (and) took
the "mark of the beast" and was admitted to the hospital. (Hank Hanegraaff,
Counterfeit Revival, 1997, pg. 137 citing Harrell, All Things Are Possible,
101)

DR. HOBART FREEMAN

Word of Faith teacher & pastor of Faith Assembly -
over 90 people died in his church following his teaching and then Hobart
died
due to a medically treatable disease.

I personally respect Hobart & his misguided followers.
They actually took the teachings of the WOF movement to their logical conclusion.
They stood on the "promises" alone and believed in their doctrine enough
to face painful deaths instead of refusing to deny what they believed.
Hobart Freeman is the most chilling testimony of the complete bankruptcy
of the WOF errors. If WOF teachings were true they would have certainly
worked for Hobart and the 90+ people who died in "faith believing."
(BTW
- Hobart is a name NONE of the WOF'ers mention, he was too serious about
the teachings). (Robert Liichow, Sick Healers)

After a 15 year old girl whose parents belong to Faith
Assembly, died of a medically treatable malady, the parents were convicted
of negligent homicide and sentenced to ten years in prison. Freeman himself
was charged with aiding and inducing reckless homicide in the case. Shortly
afterward, on December 8, 1984, Freeman himself died, interestingly enough
of pneumonia and heart failure complicated by a severely ulcerated leg.

Hobart Freeman's theology did not allow him to acknowledge
that Polio had left one of his legs disfigured and lame. Quote, he said,
"I have my healing." And that is all he would say when anyone pointed out
the rather conspicuous inconsistency between his physical disabilities
and his theology. Ultimately, his refusal to acknowledge his infirmities
cost him his life. He had dutifully, according to his own theology, refused
all medical treatment for the maladies that were killing him, and medical
science could easily have prolonged his life, but in the end he was a victim
of his own teaching. (John McArthur, Does God Still Heal, Grace Community
Church in Panorama City, California, transcribed from the tape, GC 90-60,
titled "Charismatic Chaos" Part 9)

KEITH GRAYTON

Prophetic Movement - died of the complications of AIDS.
He spoke at our Church in Detroit, and declared he was totally healed.
He died a year or so later.

KENNETH HAGIN

"Father" of the Word of Faith Movement - sister died
of cancer. Hagin’s great faith and special anointing could not
keep her on the planet.

BUDDY HARRISON

Kenneth E. Hagin’s son-in-law, died of cancer Dec.
1999. Dad Hagin’s "special healing anointing" (read I Believe
In Visions by Hagin) could not help his own family member.

RUTH WARD HEFLIN

A self-proclaimed power preacher and healer, Heflin's
untimely
death of cancer made more news. A Religious News Service story
reported: "Revivalist Ruth Ward Heflin Dead at 60. -- Revivalist Ruth Ward
Heflin, known for her role in the so-called "gold dust" revival involving
churches across the globe, died Friday (9/15/00) at a Richmond, VA hospital.
Heflin, who had suffered from cancer for several months was 60. ... She
directed the Calvary Pentecostal Campground in Ashland, VA which was founded
by her parents in the 1050s and later led by her brother, Wallace, who
died in 1997. (The Christian News, 9/25/00, pg. 10 as cited in "The
Life And Times Of Golden Girl And Globetrotter Ruth Ward Heflin, by G.
Richard Fisher, Personal Freedom Outreach, The Quarterly Journal, January-March,
2001, pg. 5)

Heflin suffered a broken ankle in an automobile
accident last year. In April, doctors diagnosed her with breast
cancer that already had spread to her bones. Heflin underwent a mastectomy
on April 25, but refused chemotherapy or further cancer treatment because
she said the Lord told her to refuse, according to Connie Wilson, her
personal assistant. (Renee DeLoriea, "Ruth Ward Heflin, Revivalist and
Prayer Minister, Dies At Age 60.", Charisma Magazine, November 2000, pg.
21)

BENNY HINN

Benny Hinn is no stranger to mishap and sickness, yet
he preaches that those who truly have "faith" will have no need of money
and will be without sickness. Since Hinn boasts of having a superior
"anointing" and even claimed to be "a little messiah" and "a little god",
why is it that he cannot heal himself or his family? Two cases in
point.

The (airplane) accident occurred in Avon Park, Fla.
(south of Orlando) on (Thursday morning) May 26, 1983, at approximately
12:35 a.m. Hinn, along with his wife, Suzanne, a pilot and co-pilot, and
two other passengers were returning to Orlando from a religious service
held Wednesday evening inNaples. Approximately 20 minutes from Orlando, the
aircraft experienced power loss due to "fuel starvation." The pilot turned
the plane around and attempted to land at the nearest available airport,
Avon Park Municipal Airport. Due to the loss of power the aircraft hit
several trees during its landing approach and crashed into a field about
200-300 yards short of the runway. The plane had flipped over from impact,
lying on its topside.

The Orlando Sentinel newspaper reported all six
occupants were injured and admitted to the hospital. Five remained
in the hospital for treatments. The Avon Park News Sun reported the following
information on Hill:

"Hill was the most seriously injured person in the
crash, having to be transported to Florida Hospital in Orlando for plastic
surgery. ... Reports have it that Hill suffered serious injuries to the
head in the accident. He was never admitted to Walker Memorial Hospital
as were the other passengers, as he was transferred almost immediately.
... The Hinns were transferred from Walker Memorial to Florida Hospital
so they could be closer to their homes."

The Avon Park paper also reported Hinn "said he
was in a state of shock" and that he said "It will be the last time
I will ever fly in one of these (single engine airplane) again." Hinn did
not report any miracles at the scene, neither did the newspapers, sheriff,
other victims or witnesses to the crash.The Florida Hospital
in Orlando confirmed the admission and stay of both Hinn and his wife,
Suzanne. Their records show both were admitted on May 26, 1983, with
Benny released on May 28 and Suzanne on May 29. (SOURCE: The Confusing
World Of Benny Hinn, Fisher & Goedelman, pg. 60, emphasis ours)

Another fact to take into account is that Suzanne Hinn
has been reported to have been suffering from mental problems for a
number of years and has been on medications. I have this on authority
from some private sources. You can also see evidence of this from
her behavior captured on videos, especially the now infamous "Holy Ghost
enema" rant. She was also arrested for shoplifting in South Africa.

“Prosecutor Brandon Lawrence told the Cape Times that
although he believed he had a strong case against Penny Hinn, he had dropped
the serious charges because the court roll was full. . . The Benny Hinn
Ministries in Florida, US, yesterday at first declined to comment on the
matter, preferring instead to answer questions in writing. However, when
pressed further a woman at the ministry… said pastor Hinn was married to
Suzanne. This is the name Hinn says she uses in the US. He [the prosecutor]
had earlier considered sending her for psychiatric evaluation. Hinn,
who describes herself as a religious person, was arrested at Edgars Store
in Adderley Street on December 4 and released on R1,000 bail for allegedly
stealing two sets of ladies pajamas.” (sic) (Source: The
Cape Times, Cape Town South Africa. Article from Court Reporter, Motshidisi
Mokwena)

At the end of (the Godstuff) clip she is shouting and
making gestures like a charging bull, charging across the platform back
and forth and then sliding to a stop on her belly across the floor. She
remained there apparently "slain in the spirit" for several minutes as
Hinn's Assistant Pastor explained to visitors of the Orlando Christian
Center what this strange behavior was supposedly about. (Video Source:
Comedy Central, The Daily Show: Godstuff,28.8K
Clip, 56k
Clip)

That she suffers from mental problems is without doubt.
Is she also suffering demonic episodes? You have to wonder. In either
case, no healing has come miraculously for the Hinns through Benny.
I thought Hinn was the "man of faith"!

Hinn also prophesied in a crusade in Hawaii in 1997 that
the
Lord told him he would live to be 96 years old. Only time will
tell, but judging from the untimely deaths of most faith healers it is
highly doubtful he will last that long. If Hinn cannot heal himself
and his wife, what makes him expect he can live long enough to heal anyone
else?

E.W. KENYON

E.W. Kenyon studied at the Emerson College of Oratory
in Boston which was a hotbed at the time for the emerging New age thought.
They imagined they have discovered laws of faith, promoting a Christianized
version of occultism. Kenyon had divorced his wife even when he taught
that what one speaks they will possess. E.W Kenyon who is certainly the
Father of the Word of Faith Movement taught divine healing and that it
was always God's will to heal. But he died in a coma, brought on by
a malignant tumor. He died from disease. (Mike Oppenheimer, Let
Us Reason Ministries, Death By Faith, http://www.letusreason.org/Wf25.htm)

KATHRYN KUHLMAN

An acknowledged divine healer died from heart disease
in Ann Arbor Michigan.

Kathryn Kuhlman died of heart failure in 1976,
curiously enough. She had battled heart disease for nearly twenty years,
and that statement is made by Jamie Buckingham who would have been one
of her disciples. (John McArthur, Does God Still Heal, Grace Community
Church in Panorama City, California, transcribed from the tape, GC 90-60,
titled "Charismatic Chaos" Part 9)

AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON

An acknowledge divine healer - died of a barbiturate
overdose. Why was she taking pills in the first place? Wasn't the "peace"
of God enough for her?

Sister Aimee died of a barbiturate overdose in 1944.
(The Interactive Bible, 1998)

While the Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic
Movements deals with the controversial aspects of "Sister Aimee's" life
-- her mysterious disappearances and alleged affairs, multiple marriages
(two of which ended in divorce), and death from an apparent drug overdose
-- it is strangely silent about her theatrical preoccupation with the slain
in the spirit phenomenon. (Hank Hanegraaff, Counterfeit Revival, 1997,
168)

JOYCE MEYERS

Almost the majority of the known healers went for some
kind of treatment from medical professionals. This was in spite of all
their claims of miracles and the practice of their "positive confession"
faith. Even Joyce Meyers did, and she was honest to admit that she had
breast cancer and was medically treated. One of the few honest admissions.
(Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries, Death By Faith, http://www.letusreason.org/Wf25.htm)

DAISY OSBORN

T.L. Osborn's wife also, regrettably died of cancer
several years ago.

JOHN OSTEEN

Word of Faith mega-church pastor in Houston - his wife,
Dodie
got liver cancer and through the mercy of God and medical attention
survived.

John Osteen himself passed away a little over a year
ago due to several medical conditions. His church "confessed"
his healing and he himself had stated that God told him he would be preaching
in the pulpit in his 90's. Osteen died in his 70's.

One of the more recent sad stories was John Osteen
who was a pastor in Houston of a mega-church, who had kidney dialysis
in late 1998. He also had a heart catheterization in August that
determined all was well with his heart at that time. Later on doctors
performed surgery to put in a pacemaker for his heart. Pastor
Osteen knew "he was in need of a miracle." He claimed God had given him
Psalm 27:14. Requests went out to his friends to wait on the Lord with
him, and agree with him for a creative miracle for his kidneys and his
heart. They agreed with the Psalmist in Psalm 41of the Lords deliverance
and protection to keep him alive. He will transform his illness.
He will raise him up! The "Lord" gave him a vision that he would be preaching
into his 90's. Osteen "confessed," his healing and 20,000 members in his
church stood in "agreement" with him for his recovery. They believed he
would have his miracle just like his wife Dodie received her miracle
(Dodie his wife got liver cancer and was treated through medical attention).
But unfortunately did not happen. (Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason Ministries,
Death By Faith, http://www.letusreason.org/Wf25.htm)

ROD PARSLEY

It is reported that this up-and-coming Word-Faith prosperity
teacher has recently been admitted to a hospital for back surgery.
There go all his claims of being able to "name it and claim it"!
And it doesn't stop there, according to G. Richard Fisher of Personal Freedom
Outreach:

To say that Jesus had to suffer all our diseases on
the cross is an old error referred to as healing in the atonement. While
healing is in the atonement in the ultimate sense (Romans 8 and Revelation
21), the full benefits of glorified, deathless bodies will only be realized
in heaven. We owe everything (all spiritual and physical blessings) to
the atonement of Jesus but we do not receive all of those blessings right
now. Scripture makes that abundantly clear. Parsley has evidence in his
own home that his teaching on healing is off-base — his son Austin has
been diagnosed “with Asperger's syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism.”
God has provided evidence of Parsley’s own errors but for whatever reason
he refuses to see it. It is sad that Parsley can so compartmentalize that
he lays teaching on his followers but has a different reality at home.
Parsley shared in a sermon televised last June 4 that his son was diagnosed
at the Cleveland Clinic and reports while he is making improvement, “we're
not all the way out of the woods but we're on our way.”

Parsley has since claimed that his son, Austin, has been
completely healed of Asperger's syndrome. However, since his son is never
brought on his father's TV program, it is still to be confirmed that Austin
has had any "healing" at all apart from traditional treatments and programs
since the diagnosis at Cleveland Clinic. The question remains ...
why would Parsley need medical practitioners to diagnose his son when God
is supposed to heal him immediately when Parsley commands Him to?

Added to that is the fact that as much as Parsley rants
about God's Kingdom come in our body, he still has a deaf section and
a signer in his church. As kindly as we can, we say, physician heal
thyself. (Personal Freedom Outreach, Rod Parsley - The Raging Prophet",
1999)

Parsley, in his book, Renamed and Redeemed, states
that: “Jesus is not sick - I don't have to be sick!” (Rod Parsley, Renamed
and Redeemed. Columbus, Ohio: Results Publishing, 1991, pg. 15)

Isn't it time for Parsley to admit that he cannot speak
his own healing into being, as he and so many of the Word-Faith teachers
declare?

BISHOP EARL PAULK

I have it from a reliable source that Earl Paulk has
been to see Rod Parsley because of Paulk's illness and that he is close
to death's door. Apparently he is seeking healing and does not
want to die. Perhaps he should heed his own heretical message:

"We have received the earnest of the EXPECTATION through
the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but we must move on to the POSSESSION,
which is overcoming the last enemy, death. Sometimes the interpretation
has been made that Jesus Christ conquered death, but if that were so, why
would Paul's epistle to the Corinthians, written at least ninety years
later, say that the last enemy that SHALL be destroyed is death (I Corinthians
15:26)? JESUS CHRIST CONQUERED DEATH INDIVIDUALLY,BUT IT IS LEFT TO THE CHURCH TO CONQUER DEATH ON A
CORPORATE BASIS.. "(Earl Paulk, "The Proper Function of the Church" (Atlanta:
K Dimension Publishers, undated), p.13, emphasis in the original)

FREDRICK K. PRICE

Word of Faith mega-church pastor in Los Angeles - his
wife, Betty got cancer and was medically treated (chemo-therapy) and
by the mercy of God was patched up.

"If you need a crutch upon or something to help you
get along, then praise God, hobble along until you get your faith moving
to the point that you don't need a crutch." (Price, How Faith Works pg.
92)

" ... how can you glorify God in your body, when it
doesn't function right? How can you glorify God? How can He get glory when
your body doesn't even work? ... What makes you think the Holy Ghost wants
to live inside a body where He can't see out through the windows and He
can't hear with the ears? What makes you think the Holy Spirit wants to
live inside of a physical body where the limbs and the organs and the cells
do not function right? ... And what makes you think He wants to live in
a temple where He can't see out of the eyes, and He can't walk with the
feet, and He can't move with the hand? ... The only eyes that he has that
are in the earth realm are the eyes that are in the body. If Hecan't see out of them then God's gonna be limited
..." (Frederick K.C. Price, "Is God Glorified Through Sickness?" (Los Angeles:
Crenshaw Christian Center, n.d.), audiotape #FP605)

So the Holy Spirit was not "living" in Betty while she
was sick? I guess after all the years of sitting under "anointed"
faith teaching by one of the movements leading faith teachers was not enough
for Fred's wife - she needed a doctor after all.

ORAL ROBERTS

If someone says they are having heart trouble and they
deny this symptom claiming their healing by faith they could die. A perfect
example of this is when Oral Roberts was on Paul Crouch on "Praise the
Lord" show on TBN (October 6, 1992). I watched as Crouch was asked
to lay hands on Oral Roberts to minister to his chest pains, Roberts
exclaimed, "I feel the healing power of Jesus!" and said it felt like an
"electric current go through him." Paul you are anointed. Oral Roberts
was pronounced healed on TBN. But was he really? It was reported less
than four hours later, while visiting a home in Newport Beach, Roberts
felt more pains and was hospitalized at Hoag Presbyterian Memorial
Hospital (also in Newport Beach), shortly after midnight. Subsequent articles
report that Roberts' heart attack was "near fatal." ("Evangelist
Has Tests," The Orange County [CA] Register [Dec.16 1992], A-7) the
healing evangelist now has a pacemaker ("Roberts Out of Hospital,"
The Orange County [CA] Register (2l December 1992), A-30). Of course this
is ignored by the crowds following his doctrine. One can only wonder why?

"You don't have any problems, all you need is faith
in God." (R.W. Schambach, TBN)

Maybe so, but isn't it nice that He has provided doctors
too? Without them, R.W. would have long ago faced his judgment.

RUTH CARTER STAPLETON

Another one that comes to mind, Ruth Carter Stapleton,
was the Faith Healing sister of former United States President Jimmie Carter.
[She] refused medical treatment for cancer because of her belief in
faith healing. She died of the disease in 1983. (John McArthur,
Does God Still Heal, Grace Community Church in Panorama City, California,
transcribed from the tape, GC 90-60, titled "Charismatic Chaos" Part 9)

A corollary of this is that for Christians, death is
a defeat. This, in fact, is what Wimber claimed with regard to the
death of David Watson, the British charismatic leader, despite (Wimber's)
repeated prayers for healing. There is no place in Wimber's theology
for seeing death as positive, as going to meet the Lord, or for godly dying,
in which Christians look forward in peace to being with Christ and their
departed loved ones. (Cf. David Watson, Fear No Evil: One Man Deals With
Terminal Illness (Wheaton, IL: Harold Shaw Publishers, 1985 as cited by
Paul G. Heibert in Healing And The Kingdom)

JOHN WIMBER

Signs & Wonders Movement, author of "Power Healing"

Wimber claimed, "It's God's nature to heal not to teach
us through sickness. Sickness is generally not beneficial." (Benn and Burkill,
p. 102 as cited by Paul G. Heibert in Healing And The Kingdom)

And even John Wimber, who would be probably the most
prominent modern contemporary Third Wave healer, struggles with chronic
angina and heart problems. He begins his book on Power Healing with
a personal note. This is what it says; quoting John Wimber, he says,

"I had what doctors later suspected were a series of
coronary attacks. When we returned home a series of medical tests confirmed
my worst fears, I had a damaged heart, possibly seriously damaged. Tests
indicated that my heart was not functioning properly, a condition complicated
and possibly caused by high blood pressure. These problems combined with
my being overweight and overworked meant that I could die at any time."
(John McArthur, Does God Still Heal, Grace Community Church in Panorama
City, California, transcribed from the tape, GC 90-60, titled "Charismatic
Chaos" Part 9)

Wimber ultimately died from a hemorrhage as a result
of a long battle with cancer. He too, was medically treated - no "power"
healing for him, only chemo-therapy.

These people were all leaders in the field of divine
healing, they allegedly got "results" and yet many of them have suffered
and as well as died from medical problems. How can this be? Why couldn't
their fellow faith-healers get them healed? The answer? - Because NONE
of these folks EVER HEALED ANYBODY! They were frauds and con-men/women
who DID NOT PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACHED. When the chips were down where
did they go? To the next tent meeting or miracle crusade? NO! They ran
to their private highly paid physicians and surgeons! (Robert Liichow,
Sick Healers)

ENDNOTE: I must acknowledge that I obtained a lot
of information and direct quotes from a few excellent articles. The
first one is entitled "Sick
Healers" by Robert Liichow at Inner City Discernment Ministries.
The second is an article called "Death
By Faith" by Mike Oppenheimer of Let Us Reason Ministries. I
am in their debt for a lot of good research. Please read their original
articles for more information.